The present invention relates to golf club reminding devices, and more particularly to an orientation/time sensing alarm device and its use for reminding mis-positioned golf clubs.
During a round of golf, a golfer uses a number of different clubs to address various obstacles and situations that arise. It is common for a golfer to remove more than one clubs from the golf bag when considering how best to approach a shot. It is also common for a golfer to temporarily place a club on the ground when raking a sand trap, replacing a divot, holding a flag, watching a drive or lining up a shot. If the golfer forgets to retrieve the club, the club can become misplaced, and even lost. These and other common practices in a round of golf can lead to the misplacement of a gold club.
In the prior art, several types of devices exist for warning golfers that a glof club has removed from a glof bag and has not been returned. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,565,845 (to Hara) and 5,028,909 (to Miller) disclose devices that have sensors installed within a golf bag for detecting the presence of each golf club, and an alarm for warning a golfer when a club is missing from the bag. This type of device has several disadvantages. With this type of device, the golf bag needs to be equipped with receptacles and sensors for receiving and detecting individual clubs. The device also requires that a club must be returned to an appropriate receptacle in order for the device to function properly.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,118,376 (to Regester) and 5,952,921 (to Donnelly) disclose another type of club reminding system that comprises multiple transmitters, each attached to a golf club, a transceiver being carried by a golfer or attached to a golf bag or a golf cart, and an alarm. These systems operate based on a distance sensing mechanism. The transceiver continuously or periodically monitors the distance between the transmitters and the transceiver, and triggers alarm if the monitored distance is above a predetermined threshold distance.
These systems overcome the disadvantages associated with those devices that only have sensors embedded within a golf bag. However, these systems require continuous operation of the sensors for constantly or periodically monitoring the distance between the transmitters and transceiver. To effectively assist a golfer to trace all his golf clubs during a play, the sensors are most likely kept on during the entire play. This continuous operation consumes battery, particularly the button battery used to support the transmitters attached to the golf clubs. It can be very costly and inconvenient to maintain the system because each golf club needs a transmitter.
Therefore, it is apparent there exists a special need for more effective and less expensive golf club reminding devices that can be conveniently utilized by the golf players.
In one aspect, the present invention relates to an orientation/time sensing alarm device adaptable to a golf club, which comprises an orientation sensor, a time sensor connecting to the orientation sensor, and alarm. The time sensor is activated by the orientation sensor when the orientation sensor senses the golf club being positioned in a direction with an angle from a horizontal plane less than the predetermined threshold angle. The alarm is activated when the time sensor senses the duration of activation of the time sensor is above a predetermined timing threshold.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a self-reminding golf club. The self-reminding golf club comprises a golf club, and orientation/time sensing alarm device connected to a grip of the golf club, wherein the orientation/time sensing alarm device comprises an orientation sensor, a time sensor connecting to the orientation sensor, and an alarm. The time sensor is activated by the orientation sensor when the orientation sensor senses the golf club being positioned in a direction with an angle from a horizontal plane less than the predetermined threshold angle. The alarm is activated when the time sensor senses a duration of activation of the time sensor is above a predetermined timing threshold.
In a further aspect, the present invention relates to an orientation/time sensing alarm device. The orientation/time sensing alarm device comprises an orientation sensor, a time sensor connecting to the orientation sensor, an alarm connecting to the orientation sensor and the time sensor forming a circuitry, and an on/off switch. The time sensor is activated by the orientation sensor when the orientation sensor senses the device is above a predetermined orientational threshold. The alarm is activated when the time sensor senses duration of activation of the time sensor being above a predetermined timing threshold.